Involvement of HHV-4 (Epstein–Barr Virus) and HHV-5 (Cytomegalovirus) in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Gastrointestinal diseases (GDs) include colorectal cancer (CRC), gastric cancer (GC), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). CRC and GC are typically diagnosed at later stages of development, reducing patients’ chances of survival. IBD is characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation and is a significant risk factor for the development of CRC. Chronic bacterial infections have been shown to promote some GDs, but the role of viruses in the etiology of these diseases is less clear. The present meta-analysis retrieved literature on the viral prevalence in GD patients, measuring the GD risk in odd ratios. By quantifying the study heterogeneity, the literature bias was fundamentally included in the analysis. The analysis also included 11 metagenomic studies. Our meta-analysis retrieved 11,413 studies, with 196 suitable for analysis. HHV-4 (Epstein–Barr virus) was identified as a significant risk factor for the development of IBD, and HHV-5 (cytomegalovirus) as a risk factor for both CRC and IBD. Polyomaviruses and the Hepatitis B virus were also, less strongly, involved in the risk of CRC and IBD. No relations withstanding the literature bias were identified for GC. The study discusses these findings, as well as the role of other viruses in the etiology of CRC and IBD.

Protective role of flavonoids quercetin and silymarin in the viral-associated inflammatory bowel disease: an updated review

“…As another member of the herpesvirus family, Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) has infected most of the world’s population (90%), in a form of latent lifelong infection, as an asymptomatic disease in childhood and as infectious mononucleosis (IM) in adulthood, a self-limiting disease (Jefremow and Neurath 2020 ; Zhang et al 2022 ). In a systematic review and meta-analysis, using 11 metagenomic studies, the EBV plus CMV was determined as a significant cause of IBD (Marongiu et al 2022 ). The EBV infecting B cells has been involved in a variety of autoimmune diseases and cancers (Çolak et al 2018 ; Caetano et al 2021 ; Wallaschek et al 2021 ).…”

Human Cytomegalovirus Oncoprotection across Diverse Populations, Tumor Histologies, and Age Groups: The Relevance for Prospective Vaccinal Therapy

“…In a recent study by Paradowska and colleagues, a significant proportion (70%) of epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC) contained CMV DNA; moreover, the pathogen was significantly more prevalent in EOC than in benign tumors [79]. Evidence suggests that CMV is involved in the pathology of colorectal cancer (CrC) and inflammatory bowel disease [80][81][82][83][84]. Cytomegalovirus infection was also associated with a poor prognosis in CrC patients, where three viral genes (UL82, UL42, and UL117) were linked to poor patient survival outcomes [80].…”

Worldwide Human Cytomegalovirus Oncoprotection across Diverse Populations, Tumor Histologies and Age Groups: Paving the Way for Innovative Cancer Therapies

“…In a recent study by Paradowska and colleagues, a significant proportion (70%) of epithelial ovarian cancers (EOC) contained CMV DNA; moreover, the pathogen was significantly more prevalent in EOC than benign tumors [79]. Evidence suggest that CMV is involved in the pathology of colorectal cancer (CrC) and inflammatory bowel disease [80][81][82][83][84]. Cytomegalovirus infection was also associated with a poor prognosis in CrC patients, where three viral genes (UL82, UL42, and UL117) were linked to poor patient survival outcomes [80].…”